The use of mobile data communications systems to perform location functions for locating mobile units is described in articles entitled Enhancements to the User Location and Tracking System, by Paramvir Bahl and Venkata N. Padmanabhan, and User Location and Tracking in an In-Building Radio Network, Microsoft Technical Report MSR-TR-99-12, dated February 1999, by the same authors, both published by Microsoft Research. As described therein signal strength of signals of the wireless data communications system, such as a system using the protocol of IEEE Standard 802.11, are used for locating mobile units within an area serviced by the system. Other techniques for locating mobile units using the wireless data communications system or other location system are possible.
In co-pending application Ser. No. 09/528,697, filed Mar. 17, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference, there is described a system which follows the protocol of IEEE Standard 802.11, but which uses a combination of RF Ports and Cell Controllers to perform the functions of Access points of a classical 802.11 data communications system. Lower level MAC functions are performed by the RF Ports and higher level MAC functions, including association and roaming functions, are performed by the cell controller. The term “access point” as used herein is intended to include conventional access points, such as those which follow the protocol of IEEE Standard 802.11 and perform all MAC functions, as well as RF Ports operating with cell controllers, as described in the incorporated co-pending application.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of controlling association and roaming functions in a wireless data communications system which includes arrangements for locating mobile units.